Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500. While reversing at a low speed, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact had to engage the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed that there was brake fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the dashboard fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic who diagnosed that the brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.
1998-2001 b-van (Dodge full size). The ABS control module is protected with a 40 amp fuse. A 10 ga. Wire comes out of the control module, then this wire "y's" out to two 14 ga. Wires. It appears as though the ABS pump or relay sticks on these vehicles. Then one of the 14 ga. Wires over heats and catches the wiring harness on fire. The 40 amp fuse does not blow. The fire then continues until the entire van is fully engulfed in flames. This van is at burlington Dodge. 90 middlesex turnpick burlington, mass 01803.
1998-2001 b-van (Dodge full size). ABS control module is protected with a 40 amp fuse. A 10 ga. Wire comes out of the control module, then this wire "y's" out to two 14 ga. Wires. It appears as though the ABS pump or the relay sticks on these vehicles. Then one of the 14 ga. Wires over heats and catches the wiring harness on fire. The 40 amp fuse does not blow. The fire then continues until the van is engulfed in flames. This van is located at the verizon repair garage 6720 ammendale rd., beltsville, maryland.
2000 Dodge Ram 1500 -dec 2009 - 47000 mile. No indication of brake issues until hitting them hard to avoid car that ran a red light. Brake line from master cylinder to rwal unit failed (pinhole leak), but managed to avoid collision. Drove home (slowly) and fabricated/installed replacement section (about 16" long). After bleeding brakes - drove truck normally until June 2010. Then, with no warning, the brakes again failed in a parking lot stop. Found the leak in the rear section of the line running from front to rear.dealer estimate to replace all hard lines is $1000. Who can afford that ?? So, I will be spending many hours of my own time to fix the problem caused by cheap imported chinese steel. Thanks bill clinton !! I have other "good American cars" that are 40+ years old and 100K+ miles with the OEM lines still good. These new vehicles suck !!!
I went to change my front pads (for the 3rd time in 15 months) and noticed that yet again, one of my calipers was stuck and one of the piston diaphrams was torn. I replaced the caliper, put in my new pads, bled the system, and my brake pedal goes all the way to the floor, the vehicle is driveable, but my stopping distance has greatly reduced. I have to pump the pedal 2-3 times for the brakes to grab. If I stab on them, them pedal will travel all the way to the floor and then the rear wheels will lock up and the front brakes dont work at all. I replaced the master cylinder and the problem still persists. Dealership has absolutely no idea what the problem could be, and niether do any of the local shops.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the front passenger wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the anti lock braking system failed due to the aftermarket batteries installed in the vehicle leaking onto the ABS control module connector. Additionally, there was corrosion present from battery acid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign: 04V185000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Dodge 1500. While driving 40 MPH, the air idle valve did not open and caused the vehicle to stall when the brakes were applied. The contact believes that there is a defect in the design of the vehicle. The air idle valve was installed backwards and should remain in the open position to allow air to enter and for the vehicle to properly close. The failure occurred on two occasions. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the valve, which was installed in the same manner. The repair lasted for a year, but the failure has recently resurfaced. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 112,000.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500. While pulling out of the driveway, the contact noticed that the brakes felt low. He also noticed that the brake hose assembly was leaking brake fluid from the front brakes. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 01V038000 (service brakes, hydraulic foundation components: hoses, lines piping, and fittings); therefore, they would not assist with the repair. The vehicle is currently parked at the contact's residence. The failure and current mileages were 70,089. Updated 04-17-09 updated 04/20/09.
I own a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab. In the 72,000 miles that have been placed on the truck I have had to replace the brake rotors two times due to warping. The first was at 45,000 miles then at a little over 50,000. I'm at 72,000 miles now and the rotors have been worped for about the last 10,000 miles. It appears that when stopping I am using almost entirely the front brakes. The rotors are not substantial enough to stop a vehicle of this size.
First is the dash. I bought the truck in feb 04 with 74,000 miles on it and shortly after I noticed a crack in the dashboard, since then the dash is falling apart and is more brittle than a sporting clay. If you snap off a piece and look at it you can see that about 1/5th of the way down from the top is brown since it has cooked in the sun. So that proves that Dodge uses very cheap plastic for the dashboards. I looked into replacing it about 6 months ago and the top piece of the dash cost about 200$ and now that I have gotten my tax returns back I was going to get a new one but the price is now 375$. I guess Dodge finally realized the problem with these dashboards and decided to cash in on them. The torque converter went out on the drive home from the dealership also, but 50 bucks from me and 2100$ from the warranty people fixed that. …
Brake complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2000 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the brakes of the 2000 Dodge Ram 1500, 6% of the model year's 513 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2000 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.